With Census Bureau Director, Dr. Steven Dillingham

CHAIRWOMAN MALONEY'S OPENING STATEMENT

BACKGROUND

• At the hearing, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office will publicly release a troubling new report that highlights serious concerns about preparations for the 2020 Census.
• This year’s Census count has already begun in Alaska, and is set to begin across the country on April 1.  The Census Bureau must be prepared to conduct an accurate, fair, and complete Census.
• The Committee is very concerned that minority, immigrant, and rural communities are in danger of being undercounted in the 2020 Census, which could cause these communities to lose their voice in Congress and to miss out on federal funds for healthcare, schools, roads, and other essential services.
• The Committee is also concerned the Census Bureau has fallen behind in recruiting hundreds of thousands of Census workers and developing the technology needed for the first online census.
• The Census Bureau must address fears, distrust, and disinformation that could reduce Census participation in many communities, including fear caused by the Trump Administration’s immigration policies and the illegal—and failed—attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.